Marshalls (LSE:MSLH) has built up a share price rise after reporting record profits and a better than expected start to the current year.
Revenues for the twelve months to the end of December increased by 26% to £589.3mln, while adjusted profits jumped 221% to £72.1mln.
The company, a specialist in concrete and natural stone landscaping products, said it experienced issues with both raw material and labour shortages
This led to significant raw material cost inflation, additional overtime costs to cover COVID-19 related absenteeism and some customer project delays.
But demand for its products remained strong, and cost increases were recovered through a mid-year price increase and a further price increase was implemented successfully in January 2022.
Chief executive Martyn Coffey said trading continued to be strong since the year end, despite continuing supply chain issues.
He said: "At the end of February revenues were up 13% and order volumes up 5% compared to the same period in 2021. Despite the terrible situation in Ukraine and the current geo-geopolitical uncertainties that prevail, the outlook for the construction market remains positive...
"Given the strength of recent and current trading the board's expectations for the current year are now ahead of its previous view."
The company has climbed 4.51% to 672.5p.
3.09pm: Reabold Resources (AIM:RBD) rises after drilling application near Hull is approved
Investment company Reabold Resources (AIM:RBD) has seen its shares surge after key planning applications at West Newton, a hamlet near Hull, were given the go-ahead.
The East Riding of Yorkshire Council Planning committee approved the applications for drilling and production at the West Newton A site as well as a time extension to allow for further exploratory drilling at the West Newton B site were approved.
Reabold is partnered with Rathlin Energy in the project, and holds an economic interest of around 56% via its 59% stake in the company.
Reabold co-chief executive Sachin Oza said: "As a low-carbon energy project, West Newton supports local investment in East Riding and contributes towards the UK's ambitions for energy security, whilst supporting our pathway to Net Zero.
"We are delighted by this approval and are extremely excited for the future of West Newton. We look forward to the next phase of progression towards development for this nationally significant asset."
Reabold has risen 30.3% to 0.43p.
12.51pm: Shearwater wins US$4.1mln cyber defence deal
Shearwater Group PLC (AIM:SWG) is heading higher after winning a cyber defence contract.
The company's Brookcourt Solutions business has signed a US$4.1mln three year deal with a global financial organisation, to improve the resilience of its digital operations.
Shearwater chief executive Phil Higgins said: "This is an outstanding contract win for Brookcourt Solutions, demonstrating our deep understanding of best-in-class technologies and the strong partner portfolio that we have on offer for our customers. Being trusted to efficiently deploy cutting-edge, robust, effective and cost efficient cyber security solutions to global financial organisations of this calibre is something that we are very proud of."
Shearwater's shares have added 9.48% to 95.25p.
11.30am: Simigon (AIM:SIM) closer to completing merger after restraining order is withdrawn
Simigon (AIM:SIM), the training specialist, has moved a step closer to its proposed merger with Maxify Solutions.
The deal, which values Simigon (AIM:SIM) at US$8.5mln, prompted 4% shareholder Gal Erez to apply for a restraining order to prevent the cancellation of the company's Aim shares.
Now Simigon (AIM:SIM) has announced Erez has withdrawn his application, and it expects the merger to be completed on 28 March.
A lawsuit in the Tel Aviv District Court remains in place, however, the company said.
Its shares are up 4.3% at 1.41p.
10.22am: Nanoco climbs after winning electronics contract
Nanoco Group PLC (LSE:NANO), which manufactures cadmium-free quantum dots and other nanomaterials, has sparked up after signing a new agreement with an important European electronics customer.
The deal involves the delivery of an enhanced and scaled up version of its technology, and is expected to mean this year's revenues exceeding the £2.1mln generated in 2021.
Chief executive Brian Tenner said: "This agreement is a further important milestone on Nanoco's path to commercial production of materials for sensing applications. As part of that path, the board has decided to re-locate R&D and scale up activities from the Manchester R&D centre to our Runcorn production site. This move will streamline product development as we prepare our Runcorn facility for commercial production.
"Global interest continues to grow in the use of Nanoco's nanomaterials in a very wide range of potential infra-red sensing applications. We remain focused on our short to medium term goal of commercialising Nanoco's nanomaterials with meaningful production volumes, subject to final customer adoption of the technology in end use devices."
Its shares are up 6.11% at 19.1p.
9.43am: Berkeley Energia surges on rising uranium price
Berkeley Energia Ltd (LSE:BKY, ASX:BKY), which is developing the Salamanca uranium project in Spain, is in demand after a jump in the metal's price.
A surge in its share price on the Australian Stock Exchange in the past few days prompted a letter to the company asking for an explanation.
Berkeley said it knew of no particular reason for the increase, and there was no unannounced information which could account for it.
But it added its shares had surged by 70% on the Spanish exchanges since 10 March 2022 with over 112mln shares traded.
It said: "The company further notes that in light of Russia's invasion in Ukraine and the current high energy prices in Europe, particularly in Spain which has seen spot electricity prices increase significantly to record highs in March, there have been news articles in the Spanish and European press referring to nuclear power being assessed as a viable alternative to decrease Europe's dependence on Russian energy.
"This has already seen the French government order its state energy company, EDF, to establish new reactors as part of its plan to strengthen France's energy security and to sell more nuclear power into the European energy market, and other European governments commence reviews of their existing energy policies.
"This has led to the significant strengthening of the uranium spot price which currently stands at US$55 per pound and represents a year-to-date increase of over 30%."
In London today its shares are up 22.15% to 26.75p.
8.53am: Zinc Media (AIM:ZIN) shines after winning BBC One programming contract
Zinc Media (AIM:ZIN) is in the spotlight after winning a contract with the BBC.
The producer's Tern TV division - in partnership with Belfast based Green Inc - has won a two year commission worth £2.75mln for BBC One's Sunday Morning Live programme, following an open competitive tender launched in September 2021.
The contract, which is the largest commission for Tern TV to date and the first live programme for the group, extends the weekly magazine show for BBC ONE to two series per year.
Chief executive Mark Browning said: "This is another milestone moment for the Group and for Tern TV in Northern Ireland. Winning this contract propels the group into live television. It vindicates our investment in Nations and Regions production and provides a bedrock of forward booked revenue from which to further grow our production business."
Zinc shares have climbed 7.5% to 86p.
Meanwhile Tintra PLC (AIM:TNT) is in demand after it said it was developing the first purpose built bank for the metaverse, the last tech buzzword.
It said: "Though many incumbent and legacy banks are currently opening lounges and branches in the metaverse via platforms like Decentraland, Tintra intends to create the first bank capable of functioning operationally within the digital realm of the metaverse."
Chief executive Richard Shearer added: "We are building banking infrastructure that will allow us to open borders and business sectors across Asia, Africa and Latin America...The methodology to achieve this is by building tomorrow's bank and then reverse engineering it back to fit today's regulatory and fiscal landscape - as opposed to others who, in our view, are taking a more bottom up approach."
The news has sent its shares up 30p or 14.63% to 235p.